Is Chinatown the best private eye film ever? It may well be. Nearing its thirty-fifth anniversary, it deserves a reconsideration and a celebration. It is a symbolically rich film that reverberates with meaning; it takes the alienation and l ... more

Sean Penn and gay director Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting) have created a warm-hearted testament to Harvey Milk, the first openly gay individual who was elected to major political office (the Board of Supervisors in San Francisco), and was ... more

Every time they seem to be about to gasp their last, dusty breath, one comes along to give them a bit of renewed life. Bless it, the western genre will not die. Last year it was the excellent remake 3:10 to Yuma< ... more

Quantum of Solace is the most obtuse title of the year. Maybe it means kick-ass action. If so, it's a very apt title. Don't be late arriving at the theater. The pre-opening credit sequence to Quantum of Solace goes just 15 seconds be ... more

Tony Macklin, film historian and author of the book Voices From the Set, joins Josh to hate on theatrical releases Body of Lies, The Express and The Duchess, plus Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal ... more

Ricky Gervais has become a major international star. The British comic created and was the lead actor in the original British TV version of The Office (2006) and Extras (2007). He has won two Emmys and a Golden Globe. Now after a few bit parts h ... more

Tropic Thunder is one humongous vanity project for Ben Stiller. His initials aren't BS for nothing. If you can't get enough of bouncing Ben, Tropic Thunder is the movie for you. Ben Stiller acted in, co-wrote, produced, and directed Tropic Thunder ... more

“Step Brothers” is a rowdy, rambunctious, fitful, against-the-wall comedy. Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, and director writer Adam McKay heave comedy, like spaghetti, against the wall. About half sticks; the other half makes a real mess.

What do dithering tv weathermen do when they retire? They must take their lame, witless banter and their awkward timing to Hollywood to write and direct movies. That might explain Get Smart, one of the latest in a long line of humid, mediocre, t ... more

It has all the ingredients to be a great movie, but it isn't one. I may grudgingly put it on my best-ten-of-the year list (a paltry group at this point), but it could have been so much more. It came so close ... more

Like a timid giant, popularity rules big-time at the box office. I remember interviewing John Wayne in his home in Newport Beach, Calif. and being shocked at how much he was concerned with Photoplay magazine's top actors list and whether he wa ... more

Seeing The Happening is like going on an outing with an earnest person, who happens to be a drunk. Every time it starts to make sense, it slurs its speech and starts dropping things -- such as coh ... more

The first five months of 2008 at the movies have been a distressing period. Iron Man had its moments as did The Bank Job and Street Kings, but only The Visitor will make my ten best list. It's been a tepid time for ... more

Sometimes you just can't trust reviewers. Hillary may be right. Maybe you should just dismiss your education and go against economists and the knowledgeable. No, believe the economists and the knowledgeable. It's just the media and some politician ... more

Iron Man is an appealing superhero movie. It's also clunky. It's welded together out of disparate pieces that clank and ping. Though at times it's leaden, Iron Man also has enough moments of pizazz to intermittently soar.

Will Ferrell's Semi-Pro is a dreadful comedy. It's lazy and slipshod. On RottenTomatoes, it received 24 percent favorable from critics, and, even more notable, 49 percent of viewers thought it was rotten.

What makes a movie a box office bonanza? It strikes a chord in its expectant audience. Sometimes a sleeper such as Juno scores. Other times it's the tried-and-true, such as National Treasure: the Book of Secrets, that pleases those of us looking f ... more